A/N: LOOK! An update! Ahh I can't believe MIOBI is over. But I just thought you guys would like a chapter! Let us know if any of y'all are out there by reviewing/alerting etc..

THE ROCK
BOULDER, COLORADO

Lauren's POV

After practice I go back in the office and mom is still sitting there with Summer. She smiles at me, "hey honey"

"can you stay with me tonight?" I ask her, I'm tired of being by myself sometimes and I wanna spend time with her.

"I don't know sweetheart…" she says, maybe she's worried about dad finding out, if he does I don't think things will be so easy.

I know I probably look like one of the little tumble tots when I pout but sometimes it helps, "I don't wanna be by myself"

"I know honey" she says, still smiling.

"I don't care, I just wanna be with you…" I tell her, trying to get ether her or Summer to agree.

Summer smiles, "Lauren, you can come stay with us at my place if you want to" I knew she would give in, she's the one that wanted me to be with mom in the first place.

"fine" I reply, I'm not gonna argue with her if she's gonna let me be with mom, it's what I wanted anyways.

Mom just squeezes my shoulder and I lean into her. "I just wanna stay with mommy…" I mumble.

"it's okay Lauren, you can" Summer says, smiling at me. Ugh, she heard me. she wasn't supposed to.

Mom rubs my back and smiles. "mommy can you tell the lawyer I really want you to stay?" I would tell him myself but I can't be there, and he needs to know I want mom around and the only way for that to happen is if they lift the restraining order.

"okay sweetie" she says, squeezing my shoulder again.

April's POV

We're finally at Summer's and Lauren is finally beginning to relax. I'm sitting next to her on the couch with her head in my lap as she's falling asleep. I sit there combing my fingers through her hair, just happy to be with her. It's been so long since I've seen her… last time we were together she was actually still a baby. People probably wonder why I just didn't take her with me when I left, but I just couldn't. For so many reasons… it still doesn't mean I don't regret it. Lauren snuggles up to me.

"Mommy…" she says as I wrap my arms around her. She leans onto me and yawns.

"Sweetheart you should get to bed…" I say, still combing my fingers through her hair.

She clings onto me tighter. "But mommy…"

"Honey, I don't want ya sleepin on the couch," I tell her, giving her a little hug.

"Don't leave me…" she begs, looking back up at me.

"I won't," I promise her, forcing a small smile. She just snuggles closer to me again and starts falling asleep while I wrap my arms around her again and hold her close. I've missed being around her so much, and I don't know what I'd do if I had to go again.

"I want mommy to stay…" Lauren says sleepily. She yawns. "Mommy…" she just says again as I continue rubbing her back. She shifts herself again and rests her head on my shoulder as I start stroking her hair. It's just the same color blond as mine is. She actually looks a lot like me, blond hair and tan skin, not very tall. I wonder if she's got a voice…

"Stay with me…" she says.

"Alright…" I say, not sure what else I can say.

She clings to me tighter. "I love you mommy…"

"I love you too sweetheart," I tell her as she's still cuddled up to me.

Lauren yawns. "I'm tired…" she says.

"Get to bed sweetie."

"Stay with me," she says, clinging to me tight.

"I will, honey…" I tell her. I know she must really want me around now, with her all the time. It's been over ten years since I've been with her and I know she really misses me. She's wanted me for years but Steve made sure to keep me away. Even know though I have the guts to yell back at him when he's angry I'm still afraid of him. I don't think I'll ever stop being afraid of him, but I have to be brave and stick around for Lauren. I don't want to leave her again and I definitely don't plan to.

Lauren just snuggles into me and yawns as I rub her shoulder. Pretty soon after she's asleep and I'm sitting there, stroking her hair and thinking about how this all happened to me. How I ended up with Lauren and in Boulder, Colorado. None of this was planned. I was dumped in Boulder after having a fight with my boyfriend. We were driving our way up to LA to see how we'd make it in Hollywood. After that fight he decided he didn't want me with him anymore and dropped me off in Colorado since that's just where we happened to be. I spent that night getting drunk. I just wanted to forget it all. I wandered around on the streets until Steve spotted me. I actually thought he was nice at first. I was drunk and had nowhere to go so going to some guy's place to stay didn't seem too bad.

Then he started getting mad all the time, usually he was drunk. I always could smell the alcohol on his breath. He would beat me until I was battered and bruised and just leave me there. He had sex with me countless times. Even when I said no he still wanted to, so I'd just do it. What choice did I have? If I refused I'd get another beating. I'm not very big so I had no chance fighting back. I'm too small and even though Steve isn't a very big man, he's still a lot bigger than me. It was pretty easy for him to beat me up in a few minutes. I've had plenty of broken bones in the time I was there. It just got worse when I was pregnant with Lauren.

Flashback

Steve's drunk again… he's always drunk now. I can always smell the alcohol on his breath when he comes in, which just makes me more nauseous. Of course he can't know that. Steve always wants to have sex when he comes home but lately I've been making excuses for why to say no. I've been saying that I'm tired and that I just don't wanna do anything. I just don't wanna get hurt more…

"April…" Steve says as he comes through the door. He's really drunk tonight…

"Hey Steve… I say meekly, trying not to look at him.

"Why have you been layin around so much?" Steve demands, looking annoyed. "Lazy…"

"I'm not lazy…" I say quietly.

'"You haven't wanted to do anything with me for weeks. You're lazy."

I just look at the floor. Usually I just do what he wants. When he wants sex, I give it to him. Anything he'll tell me to do, I do it. Lately I haven't been giving him any sex though. I'm afraid he'll see my baby bump. It's showing a lot more lately and I'm terrified of what he'll do when he realizes it's there.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing…" I say quietly, looking up at him for a second.

"Then you're doing something with me tonight, you don't have a choice," he tells me, stepping closer to where I'm sitting.

I just look at the floor. "Okay," I say. At this point I think I should just keep agreeing with him. It's usually what can keep me safe.

He yanks me up and I can see his eyes go across my stomach. It's a lot easier to see it now. I was really hoping I was wrong when I first noticed it, but pretty soon after that I knew I was pregnant and just kept hoping Steve wouldn't notice. I just kept making up reasons for it and hoping he'd believe them. I'm at the point where it's getting pretty obvious that it's a baby bump so I've just been trying to avoid sex altogether, which isn't really working either.

"You're getting fat," he says, glaring down at me.

"Sorry…" I say, looking back at the floor. "I'll eat less this week."

"Good. You won't eat at all," he tells me.

"Okay…"

"That better not be a baby bump," Steve warns, still glaring at me. I know that at this point I can't win either way. If I lie he'll know and beat me, but if I don't he'll still be pissed.

"It's not a baby bump," I tell him, looking at the floor.

"Look at me and tell me that," Steve orders. "Don't lie."

This time I look straight at him in his icy blue eyes, cloudy from the alcohol. ""It isn't a baby bump," I say again, my voice shaking a little.

"You'll be sorry if that's a lie," he says. I'm lost for words and look at the floor. I'm pretty sure he knows he's caught me. He slaps me across the face and I fall to the floor. All I can remember is the pain while he continues beating me. All I can do is let out a small whimper.

"Just shut up. If that's a baby bump get rid of it," he says.

"I can't…" I whimper and he just begins hurting me again.

I know it would probably be best if I did get rid of it, I'd be safer and there wouldn't be any baby to be hurt as much as me, but I can't. If I asked him for money he'd be more mad. No matter what I do I'm gonna get hurt. There's no way to win with Steve…

Before I know it, it's morning. I've been up all night with Lauren in my arms, and I didn't even notice. I've been lost in my thoughts too long. I look down at Lauren who's still comfortably snuggled up to my body. She's deep in sleep but she probably should get ready to go back to the gym, or at least get into a real bed since I have no idea what time it is.

I gently squeeze her shoulder. "Sweetheart…"

She just lets out a small whimper. "Mommy…"

I just squeeze her shoulder again, a little bit harder. "Wake up, honey…"

"It's already morning?" She asks.

"Yeah, sweetie," I say, shifting her so she's more upright.

"Ugh, fine…" she mutters, "II really don't wanna get up."

"I know…" I say, rubbing he shoulder.

"Maybe the restraining order will be lifted today…" Lauren says, beginning to wake up a little more.

"I hope so…" I say.

She just hugs me. "I don't wanna get up."

"I could get the restrainign order lifted today, sweetie…" I tell her, hugging her back.

"Fine, mommy…" she just says.

A/N: hope you guys like this. We wanna know if anybody's reading! Please review, we know it's been forever since we've updated but we're gonna try to be more consistent.